As Everything Fades to Black
by Thunderscourge
Summary: Sequel to "Letting it Go". Psycho Blue reflects on his ghastly form and his fading touch with reality, as well as with his siblings Black, Pink, Yellow and Red. Features cameos by Zhane and Karone/Astronema. This is the end of the Psycho Rangers' torment.


Author's Note: Due to the positive feedback on "Letting it Go" I decided to write a sequel fic to it, continuing the story of the drifting Psycho Rangers. This is meant to not be specific as well as to have an open ended finish. If there is enough interest there will be a continuation of sorts, so if you want more please leave feedback and let me know!

Given the narrator's loss of memory the vagueness of many things is specific, and because of his faded consciousness he has little knowledge of what is actually occurring in the events of this story. Such is the problem of drifting through the world as a ghost for years and years and years with nearly nothing to keep you grounded in reality.

* * *

Time had passed. When one lives with no corporeal form for so long, time becomes meaningless. No need to sleep, no need to eat, no need to do anything at all and all the time in the world to do just that.

I could easily check a calendar in some person's home, but as time went on I found myself beginning to forget when exactly I had passed from the living realm. The world had been changing greatly, and I found that teams of rangers sprung up every now and then, but with no relation to the ones we fought. The ones we fought were protecting the universe from whatever evil lurked among the stars. After everything they had done, they were merely a memory to some of the people back on Earth. Only those of Angel Grove seemed to truly recognize their importance, with memorials put up to honor them. How's that for gratitude? All their heroics amounted to nothing in the end.

But where did that leave us? There certainly were opportunities to be risen from the dead once more. Red had found a way to be born again, but he was defeated in his monster form by one of the Ranger teams. Both he and Yellow tried once more, but again were defeated as though they were nothing. A stark contrast to how any one of us could take on all the rangers before.

The teams of rangers certainly were not growing in power, and I could spot more and more weaknesses among each new group. That meant that we were growing weaker, a thought that did not sit well with any of us. What was changing? What about us was causing us to have our power drain ever so slowly?

From what Black and I have pieced together with the help of another phantom, with our powers being linked to Dark Specter, his death must have caused it. Without the all-powerful being feeding us nigh unlimited power, we were just becoming monsters like any other. Our long periods of inactivity must also have had some impact on our powers, for we spent a lot more time dead than alive. Not even the intense obsession with the rangers could remedy this, and even that was beginning to drift among us.

Pink had become a complete basket case. After succeeding in killing a pink ranger, her only purpose had been fulfilled. Black and I tried to help her, console her, but she had already lost her mind by the time she had died and joined us again. Red purposed that she should go and kill more Rangers, but all Pink was capable of at this point was laughing maniacally, her small mind having vacated the building for good.

I hate being the victim of anyone or anything, and fate is no different. But what could I do about it? Coming back to life was pointless as the others have shown yet not admitted. I wanted to change this, I wanted to escape this all. And to fade away slowly, my power drifting away from me every moment? That was not befitting of a being like myself.

But what could I do about it?

So I continued on aimlessly with my brother Black, resenting but accepting our fates. Black had become less stoic as time went on, speaking enough for both of us as I became more of a recluse. I was sure that he was losing his mind as well, for mine was drifting just as my power was. How was it possible to stay sane if all you could do was watch other things happen, but play no part in them? We may be psychopaths, but we were capable of some rational thoughts (Black and I more than Red and Pink).

Our lone wandering did not continue for all time though. Taking a glimpse into space, particularly that orbiting Earth, I found another drifter who could not walk among the living.

Ecliptor had been destroyed just like many of the other evil forces following Zordon's death. The dark knight, always acting superior to us before, died just like us despite his "honor" and codes. Personally, I believe that when Astronema died at first he lost all of the good and spirit that he had within him. But Ecliptor was her guardian, and she still lives, so I have no doubt that he lingers on to keep an eye on her. He was the one who informed us of our relation to Dark Specter, having learned the information from Astronema herself.

If our fates hadn't been laughable enough, fading away at a maddening pace, our former leader was a power ranger now! Or at least she was. She replaced the ranger that Pink had killed, to all of our (the Psycho Rangers) chagrin. Ecliptor still appeared loyal to her despite her change of faction, and I suppose it is understandable. He raised her like a daughter and so his loyalty and love is not surprising.

Love and loyalty…these things were not common amongst the five of us. Black and I respected one another, and were mainly loyal to one another as none of the others knew the word, but I did not know if this extended into that any two brothers hold. The closest thing I knew to love was hatred, which is supposedly close to love in some way. I cannot fathom why the two are seen as being related, but my guess is that they are both forms of intense obsession that can define who a person is.

We Psycho Rangers lived in a life of obsession, of hatred, and that was who we were. Without that we are nothing, which is exactly where we stand right now.

Of the five Psycho Rangers, only three remain partially sane. I blame this on our own reluctance to move on, to accept that we're finished. As long as we continue down this vengeful path, we'll just keep getting worse.

Yellow seems to be biding her time, awaiting an opportunity that I cannot fathom actually appearing. She is even more quiet than I am, which either means that she is remaining detached on purpose, or has become a different kind of basket case than Pink.

Pink's mind has deteriorated further since her death and now she merely rocks back and forth in the place where she first died, where the first Psycho Ranger had been defeated. I originally did not feel sorry for her mental breakdown, but I have been slowly feeling more and more guilty over not having helped foil her plan to kill the Pink Ranger. If she had failed, Pink would no doubt be the same old idiot who planned on killing a Ranger. I suppose I have been hanging around Ecliptor too long for my own good, for his soft side is beginning to rub off on me.

Red has lost any semblance to the mind he had before as well, now only functioning like an animal whose only purpose is to kill anything red. Unlike Pink, I feel nothing of any sort for my brother's descent into madness. He refused to give up which although admirable in most cases, is a fault that led to his own insanity. He brought himself to this point and he wouldn't let anyone stop him, so it lies fully upon his shoulders.

Black, as I stated before, has become vocal unlike in life. I hope that before we fade fully that he does not lose his mind too, for it would be a pity to lose him too.

As for my own descending mind, I have taken to 'haunting' libraries. To keep myself sane I read what others read, learn what they do, and observe what stories they are looking through. I have felt that it has helped improve my mind, but it does little to satiate my need to do something. While some stories, and some information, are quite nice, they are not helping me keep track of what is what. As more time has passed I have forgotten even more about myself, of my siblings, and of the Rangers.

After everything we have been through, I am left asking the question of who I am at this point? I have spent more time dead now than I have alive, and for what reason? In some of the stories I read I see that ghosts are souls that cannot move on from this world for a reason, for they are not done with it. Is that why I cannot just end my existence once and for all? Is that why I must live this tortured existence?

If we Psychos have another purpose, then what is it? Why must I linger on! I am sick of being complacent with all of this!

"Calm yourself, Blue."

Well then tell me why! Tell me why I must suffer through this all, why death cannot overcome me? I have been fading for what feels like years now and yet I still cannot leave this plane of existence!

"The more your obsession has faded over time, the more the reason for you being here has faded and the less of a hold on this world you have. You still are obsessed with the Rangers, as you will forever. Your sister Pink has faded the most, for she completed her purpose, but still feels a need to do it again. Her mental state prevents her from this though, unlike your brother Red, who has faded the least."

And I suppose that I have faded the second most?

"You would be correct. Unless your obsession grows like your brother, then you will actually lose touch entirely."

Well then, that would be great! All I have to do is stop hating the Rangers, right? Well then, done and done! I….I want this all to end! If I am to fully die then I want it to be on my terms and not the slow result of my interest in murder fading!

"Blue, you and your brother have been given the chance to live just like your siblings, am I right? Unlike them, you did not take them. Could you explain that more?"

We are finished fighting the Rangers. We're sick of it to be honest, and now we are merely waiting for the end. We have no desire to fight the Rangers, even if our entire being seems focused on them.

"Do you know who I am Blue?"

No, no I do not. I don't even know how you're talking to me at all! All I know is that for once I heard someone's voice other than Black's or one of the others, and I know you aren't Ecliptor. So who are you? I've told you everything I know, about everything that has happened since my death that I can recall. Do I at least get to know who has been listening to my rambling?

"You have forgotten many of the events of your life, and are different from when I first created you and your siblings. Without Dark Specter, I could never create another group of monsters so powerful, but then again I don't need to."

No…NO! I REFUSE! GET OUT OF MY LIFE!

"Oh what are you so worried about Blue? That I'm going to use you once again? I'm a good guy now, as you've stated. I'm not out to do that whole evil overlord thing anymore."

Well then Astronema, why are you speaking to me? Why are you-

"Blue, I had to use some of my own energy to create you and your siblings. I could feel all of you still lingering on, but over time I felt the feeling emanating from all of you begin to fade. I decided to see what it was that you were all up to, so as to prevent any further Ranger deaths."

So you were spying on us…what are you going to do now? Just leave us to oblivion once more?

"After listening to you, I've decided to do you a favor. Would you like all of this to end, for your life as a Psycho Ranger to end?"

More than anything! I can't stand this nothingness anymore!

"Well then, drift your spirit to the remnants of our old fortress. I'll be able to deal with you there and it is a place we both know of."

Is this option just open to me or is it open to Black as well?

"Bring him along if you wish. I doubt the others would like to come, but if you could I would like if you could bring them."

I will try…do I have your word that this will all end?

"Your life will end, as I said. Now round up as many of the others as you can and we can get things started."

I never thought I would say this, but….thank you Astronema.

"Call me Karone. It is my real name."

Thank you Karone. I can't believe a Ranger is helping us out…

"Well I am, so you'll just have to accept that. It's what Rangers do."

Rangers…

* * *

Noticing that his wife was leaving the house they had on Earth with some curious materials, Zhane rose an eyebrow and called to her, "Hey Karone, where are you headed with your old equipment?"

Looking at her husband and then at the Astronema related equipment in her arms, Karone lied, "Oh, nowhere in particular. Just going to check out the remains of the Dark Fortress. Best to be prepared, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Be careful, alright?"

"I'll be fine. See you later honey!"

* * *

Arriving at the Dark Fortress was of no issue for me. The ruined ship was one of the places I frequented during my drifting, it having been the only place I could ever have considered home even if it was a brief stay.

Convincing Black that we should commit suicide in some fashion was not as easy. At first he vehemently argued with me over it, but as we continued to discuss it he realized that our time had long since passed and that the time we spent drifting was a kind of bonus time to our lives, even if it was torturous in some ways.

I hadn't tried to even talk to the others, not wishing to spend the effort locating Red and not bothering with trying to snap Pink out of her stupor. Luckily this problem was remedied by Yellow who brought the kicking and screaming Red and the catatonic Pink with her to the Dark Fortress. How she managed to do so I do not know, but she kept Red in line long enough for Astronema, err, Karone, to arrive.

"Well well. I wasn't expecting all of you to come, although from the looks of it one of you is here unwillingly and another can't tell what is going on. No matter."

Are you going to end our blasted lives now? Can the misery you called our lives just end?

"For someone who has spent years doing nothing you have an awfully short span of patience. Now, this process is only going to take a minute, so if you have anything you want to say or do, do it now."

I have nothing more to do other than say goodbye my brothers and sisters.

Black nodded in response, Red growled, Yellow stared towards nothingness and Pink sobbed.

I merely welcomed the end as my gaze and everything in it faded to black.


End file.
